Monitor system for detecting defeat devices in engine control units

Abstract

A method for detecting defeat devices in an engine control unit (ECU) includes storing with a key-data collection unit, a first key-data determined during an environmental test of a vehicle. The key-data collection unit stores a second key-data determined before the environmental test. Wherein, one of the first key-data is determined by the ECU modified by a characteristic only present before the environmental test and the second key-data is determined by the ECU modified by a characteristic only present during the environmental test. An environmental testing device compares the first key-data with the second key-data to detect an anomaly, wherein the anomaly indicates the presence of the defeat device in the ECU.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for detecting defeat devices in an engine control unit (ECU) comprising:
 storing, with a key-data collection unit, a key-data determined during an environmental test of a first vehicle; 
 storing, with the key-data collection unit, an ECU data determined during the environmental test by the ECU modified by a characteristic, the characteristic only present before a previous environmental test of a second vehicle, wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are a same type of vehicle; and 
 comparing, with an environmental testing device, the key-data with the ECU data to detect an anomaly, wherein the anomaly indicates the presence of the defeat device in the ECU. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  further comprising encrypting the key-data and the ECU data to form an encrypted key-data-set, transmitting the key-data-set to the environmental testing device, and decrypting the encrypted key-data-set with the environmental testing device. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are a same vehicle. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein the characteristic is determined by comparing a feature of the first vehicle during the environmental test to the feature during a plurality of environmental and driving conditions performed on the second vehicle before the environmental test. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein the environmental test is one of an emissions test and a fuel consumption test. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  further comprising setting a status flag with the emissions testing device to report the detection of the anomaly. 
     
     
       7. A method for detecting defeat devices in an engine control unit (ECU) comprising:
 storing with a key-data collection unit, a second key-data determined before an environmental test of a vehicle; 
 storing with the key-data collection unit, a emulated first key-data determined before the environmental test by the ECU modified by a characteristic only present during the environmental test; and 
 comparing, with an environmental testing device, the emulated first key-data to the second key data to detect an anomaly, wherein the anomaly indicates the presence of the defeat device in the ECU. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7  further comprising reporting the anomaly by setting a status flag in the environmental testing device. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7  further comprising determining a feature in common with the first key-data and the second key-data, and determining the anomaly in response a first ECU response to a change to the feature in the first key-data being different than a second ECU response to the change to the feature in the second key-data. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7  wherein the determination of the first key-data includes averaging data from a plurality of the environmental tests, wherein each environmental test includes a plurality of measurement runs, and each environmental test is performed with at least one of a different sequence of the measurement runs and different input conditions to the environmental testing device. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 7  further comprising generating a first comparison of the first key-data to the second key-data before uploading a firmware update to the ECU, and generating a second comparison of the first key-data to the second key-data after uploading the firmware update to the ECU, the anomaly determined by a difference between the first comparison and the second comparison. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7  further comprising reducing the second key-data through sampling, before storing the second key-data in the key-data collection unit. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 7  wherein comparing the first key-data to the second key-data further comprises pre-processing the second key-data with the environmental testing device to categorize the second key-data into a constant value set and a changing value set, wherein the changing value set includes a time-variant data having a magnitude that exceeds a threshold during a time period. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  further comprising determining a step-wise linear function for a plurality of values in the changing value set. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 7  wherein detecting the anomaly further comprises determining an actuator change to a vehicle actuator, correlated less than to a pre-set value, to a sensor change to a vehicle sensor, the vehicle actuator configured to actuate a device connected to the vehicle in response to an actuator command from the ECU, wherein the actuator command is responsive to the sensor change. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15  wherein the change to the vehicle actuator occurs at an integer number of minutes following a change to a status of the ECU. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15  wherein the actuator command for the first key-data is stored in a different memory location in the ECU than the actuator command for the second key-data. 
     
     
       18. A method for detecting defeat devices in an engine control unit (ECU) comprising:
 storing with a key-data collection unit, a first key-data determined during an environmental test of a vehicle; 
 storing with the key-data collection unit, a second key-data determined before the environmental test; wherein one of the first key-data is determined by the ECU modified by a characteristic only present before the environmental test and the second key-data is determined by the ECU modified by a characteristic only present during the environmental test; and 
 comparing, with an environmental testing device, the first key-data with the second key-data to detect an anomaly, wherein the anomaly indicates the presence of the defeat device in the ECU. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18  wherein comparing the first key-data to the second key-data further comprises pre-processing the second key-data with the emissions testing device to categorize the second key-data into a constant value set and a changing value set, wherein the changing value set includes a time-variant data having a magnitude that exceeds a threshold during a time period, and determining a step-wise linear function for a plurality of values in the changing value set. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18  wherein detecting the anomaly further comprises determining an actuator change to a vehicle actuator, correlated less than to a pre-set value, to a sensor change to a vehicle sensor, the vehicle actuator configured to actuate a device connected to the vehicle in response to an actuator command from the ECU, wherein the actuator command is responsive to the sensor change, and the change to the vehicle actuator occurring at an integer number of minutes following a change to a status of the ECU.